Indians of North America -- Great Plains Search this
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Date:
undated
Scope and Contents:
Contents of the Mooney peyote files prepared by David F. Aberle. May 2, 1952. Bureau of American Ethnology file number 1930, Peyote. James Mooney. One bound book (100 pages) mottled cover 10 x 15", containing notes on Peyote, about 60 of which have notes. Comments by David F. Aberle. No date in book. Handwriting unclear, many abbreviations, pencil smudged in some places. At the beginning, an unnumbered page contains Mooney's index; I have expanded his abbreviations and guessed at some words. 1-Taos reference 1720 (Bandelier) (D. F. Aberle: Slotkin has since tracked this down--AA, 1951) 2-Cactus family little known (Coulter) 2 & 4-Spanish references--1611--1634--1784--1790--1856 (Brinton) 3 & 4-Ololiuhqui, Peyotl and Tobacco (Brinton) 5-Baalche or Pitarilla of Mayas (Brinton) 5-6-7-16-17-Bibliography and authorities. 8-Lophophora Genus (Coulter) 9-10-11- Official Notices, 1886, 1888, 1889 11-Observation of Blooming Plant 12-13-14- Songs 19-Mexico Travel 19-Geographic Names 20-Tabus 21 Plants concerned 22-28-Ceremony 29-Origin tradition 30-Historical tradition 31-Small Peyote Rattle Origin--at back (?) of Dictionary (Mooney's note)
All writing is on left-hand side of double page. Hence page-numbers should be read, "Facing p. ." Right-hand pages are numbered, left, not. The following materials seem to be of Special interest. Page 1, brief reference to peyote in Taos (cf. Slotkin, cited above). Page 2, translation of passage from Camino (?) del Credo by Nicolas de Leon, Mexico, 1611; translation of Sahagun, Historia de Nueva Espana, X Chapter, 29; Xi Chapter, 7. Other and less clear Spanish references are on same page. A bibliography begins on page 5, including 4 Spanish sources on that page and many more on page 6. Page 7 is mostly published material already cited by others. Page 9 quotes Agent J. Lee Hall, August 26, Ind. Rept, 1886, 130 (or 30 ?). 9 and 10 quote Spec. Agt. E. E. White, August 18 (first and only report), Rept 1888, 98-9. Page 11, Agt W. D. Myers, Rept 1889, 191. Page 16 continues bibliography, with published materials, including however the following: Leon, Dr. Nicolas, la Progreso 3, Guadalupe Hidalgo, Distrito Federal. Nordhausen, Mr. E. Las Prietas, Near (10 miles East of) Camargo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Imitario -(?) Carrizo Indian mft (?) and language. Is at mouth Rio Grande. Lummis, C. F.-Los Angeles, California (Isletas) Reed Verner Jr. (?) Esq. Colorado Springs, Colorado (Utes). Dozier Sub. (?) T. Espanola near Santa Clara, New Mexico (Santa Claras). Poma
Villegas J and Bro, Larado, Texas. Stell, Dr. William N. Jesus Maria, Chihuahua, Mexico. Ashurst, Dr. William. Chihuahua, Mexico. Altamirano Professor Fernando, 3 Plazuela de la Candelareta (?), Mexico City. Chesnut. Duges, Professor A. Guanajuata, Guanajuato, Mexico. Chesnut. (I have extracted only some of these references to Jicarilla, etc, omitted). Page 18 seems to contain mainly authorities on cacti, etc. Cites Bancroft, Wild Tribes, 611, 1882, on page 19. (The material on the ceremony, in all probability, is what appeared in his article in Der Urquell, Bd. 1, 1897.) On page 35, he quotes Dr E. R. Fouts (?) Dulce, New Mexico, as saying that the Jicarilla do not now use P, because it is hard to get, but used to mix it with tiswin. Date, August 14, '97 (?) Beginning on page 37, in a different hand, is material in Spanish: Peyote in Tamaulipas. A different hand again (Mooney's perhaps) continues on page 42. The first hand starts again on 42. Not clear to me what the sources of this material is. Page 45 takes up Spanish sources again, with fairly full citations. Some are marked in red, "Extracted". Page 46 continues in the hand which copied most of the Spanish, with more Spanish. Continued through 56. Notes on 56 in Mooney's hand. Page 57 and part of 58 contains copy of a Spanish letter on Peyote, from Dr. Leon. ? Apparently Leon forwarded another letter. Otomi and perhaps other Mexican groups mentioned. Page 58 tells of Winnebago, quoting from a letter written March 25, '98. Says they have had it "some years." Page 59 quotes Sahagun in Spanish, Hernandes in Latin. Completed on page 60. Page 60, deals with Tarascans, Otomis, based on Leon. Page 62 continues with Spanish sources. Page 63 has one brief note; there is nothing else except an arrowhead drawn on 97. This catalog of contents is not complete. (David F. Aberle)
